CARBON DIOXIDE

              - CO2                          

The lifetime in the air of CO2, the most significant man-made greenhouse gas, is probably the most difficult to determine, because there are several processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Between 65% and 80% of CO2 released into the air dissolves into the ocean over a period of 20–200 years. The rest is removed by slower processes that take up to several hundreds of thousands of years, including chemical weathering and rock formation. This means that once in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide can continue to affect climate for thousands of years. link

May 29 2013: CO2 emissions in EU fall again in 2012. The data agency for the European Commission said CO2 emissions in the EU fell an estimated 2.1% in 2012 compared with 2011. The largest decreases were in Belgium, Finland, and Sweden. (CO2 emissions in 2011 were estimated to have dropped 4.1% compared to 2010.) Emissions decreased in nearly all 27 member states, except Malta (plus 6.3%), the United Kingdom (plus 3.9%) Lithuania (plus 1.7%) and Germany (plus 0.9%). link

April 29 2013: Symbolic 400 ppm reached. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached 399.72 ppm and is likely to pass the symbolically important 400ppm level for the first time in the next few days.  llnk

         Below: 

• General information
• How much CO2 are we emitting
• USA information
• EPA timeline on controlling GHG emissions
  
• CO2 levels rising too sharply
• Geo-engineering & controlling CO2

Carbon tax. How would a carbon tax be implemented – an introduction

       Total estimated U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2009 consisted of:
       5,446.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide - 82.8% of total emissions
       730.9 million metric tons of methane - 11.1% of total emissions
       219.6 million metric tons of nitrous oxide - 3.3% of total emissions
       178.2 million metric tons of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and               sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) - 2.7% of total emissions  (link) 

The combustion of fossil fuels. such as gasoline and diesel to transport people and goods is the second largest source of CO2 emissions, accounting for about 31% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 26% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. This category includes transportation sources such as highway vehicles, air travel, marine transportation, and rail. link
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Interactive climate map and sea-level rise. The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) is a Science and Technology Center established by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2005, with the mission of developing new technologies and computer models to measure and predict the response of sea level change to the mass balance of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. This map shows eight areas around the world, and how they would suffer from rises between 1 and 6 meters. (map)

January 2011: Carbon Atlas Map. This interactive emissions map shows how the rest of the world compares. New statistics for 2009 show US emissions fell substantially in 2009, to levels not seen since 1995-96, while China surged ahead with an increase of more than 13% on the previous year. Europe, Russia, Canada and South Africa saw their emissions dip, and India has risen to third place. Overall, by these estimates, global emissions fell by a tiny 0.1%. For short periods in the wake of less severe recessions, such as those in 1981-83, and 1991-92, emissions fell more steeply only to continue their upward trend shortly afterwards. link - (2010 figures will take a few months before release.)

October 2012: Cement producers pledge to cut emissions. Producing concrete has the dubious side effect of generating roughly 5% of the total greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans. A leading industry group announced that it intends to slash the sector's emissions beginning this year and cut by half the amount of greenhouse gas pollution it produces by 2030. Concrete production is a $30 billion industry each year, and the industry announcement speaks to the growing demand for cleaner building materials among architects, structural engineers and material scientists. U.S. EPA regulations are increasingly bearing down on the industry, as well, targeting harmful emissions like mercury and acid gases. link

November 2010: Studies show CO2 caused global warming 40 million years ago. New studies show that during the Middle Eocene period temperatures were much higher than today and the warming was accompanied by a doubling in atmospheric CO2 levels. This is the first direct evidence supporting the idea that a recently discovered period of global warming was caused by CO2. link  What caused the rise in CO2 is unknown, though one suggestion is the disappearance of an ocean between India and Asia as the Himalayas rose. 

July 2010: Exploring global movement of CO2.  A NASA-led research team has expanded the growing global armada of remote sensing satellites capable of studying carbon dioxide. Measurements in the region of the atmosphere where CO2 gets transported around the globe are also key to understanding carbon dioxide sources and sinks. link

European countries exceed Kyoto targets.   
November 2009: A report by the European Environment Agency released today shows that the European Union and all Member States but one [Austria] are on track to meet their Kyoto Protocol commitments to limit and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Whereas the Protocol requires that the EU-15 reduce average emissions during 2008-2010 to 8% below 1990 levels, the latest projections indicate that the EU-15 will go further, reaching a total reduction of more than 13% below the base year. Looking further ahead, almost three quarters of the EU’s unilateral target to cut emissions to 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 could be achieved domestically (i.e. without purchase of credits outside the EU).  link

NB: 1 ton - 2,240 lbs   1 tonne (metric) = 1000 kilos or 2200 lbs

The United States burns through 19.5 million barrels of oil a day, 
25% of the world's consumption, more than China, Japan, India and Russia combined. 
That's 2.7 gallons a day for every man, woman and child. 
Also we burn over one billion tons of coal each year. 
These are the major causes of CO2 emissions.

May 2009: Climate change odds much worse than thought  A new MIT study suggests the problem will be about twice as severe as previously estimated six years ago - and could be even worse than that. The new projections, published in the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate, indicate a median probability of surface warming of 5.2 degrees Celsius by 2100, with a 90% probability range of 3.5 to 7.4 degrees. This can be compared to a median projected increase in the 2003 study of just 2.4 degrees. link

December 2012: CO2 emissions increased over last decade. It is increasingly unlikely that global warming will be kept below an increase of 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels, a study suggests. Data show that global CO2 emissions in 2012 hit 35.6bn tonnes, a 2.6% increase from 2011 and 58% above 1990 levels. The researchers' paper says the average increases in global CO2 levels were 1.9% in the 1980s, 1.0% in the 1990 but 3.1% since 2000.  link

March 2013: US scientists report big jump in heat-trapping CO2. The amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the air jumped dramatically in 2012, making it very unlikely that global warming can be limited to another 2 degrees as many global leaders have hoped, new federal figures show. Scientists say the rise in CO2 reflects the world's economy revving up and burning more fossil fuels, especially in China. CO2 levels jumped by 2.67 parts per million since 2011 to total just under 395 parts per million. That's the second highest rise in carbon emissions since record-keeping began in 1959. More coal-burning power plants, especially in the developing world, are the main reason emissions keep going up, even as they have declined in the U.S. and other places.  link  

November 2012: Greenhouse gases reach record levels in 2011.The amount of heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached a record 390.9 parts per million (ppm) in 2011, according to a report released by the WMO. That’s a 40% increase over levels in 1750, before humans began burning fossil fuels in earnest. Although CO2 is still the most significant long-lived greenhouse gas, levels of other heat-trapping gases have also climbed to record levels, according to the report. Methane, for example hit 1813 parts per billion (ppb) in 2011, and nitrous oxide rose to 324.2 ppb. All told, the amount of excess heat prevented from escaping into outer space was 30% higher in 2011 than it was as recently as 1990. Frustrated with this global inaction, the World Bank reported that without significant emissions reductions, the world’s average temperature could climb by 4°C (7.2°F) by as early as 2060. link

November 2012: Global greenhouse-gas emissions already have passed the point where the worst effects of global warming could be averted, and they are still rising, according to the third annual United Nations report on the so-called emissions gap. Tthe report by the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) warns that the gap between these pledges and reductions necessary to cap average global warming at 2C by 2020 continues to widen. As emissions continue to climb, some scientists say an increase of 4C is a more likely scenario. link

October 2011: 47 billion tonnes of CO2 released in 2010.  A report, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, suggests that for a "likely" chance (more than 66%) of holding warming below 2C by the end of this century, emissions must peak before 2020. Scientists have warned that a lack of international will means the chances of bringing climate change under control are “slipping out of reach”. Emission levels will also have to drop  to around 44 billion tonnes in 2020, and then keep falling. By 2050, they will need to be well below 1990 levels at around 20 billion tonnes, says the research. This is an ambitious goal. In 2010 emission levels were estimated to be 48 billion tonnes, (much higher than previously reported - see below). If no action is taken to reduce global emissions, experts fear they could grow to 56 billion tonnes in 2020. (see page 2 - link)

November 2011: IEA warns that  time is running out to limit earth's warming. The International Energy Agency warned today that the world is hurtling toward irreversible climate change and will lose the chance to limit warming if it doesn’t take bold action in the next five years. In its annual World Energy Outlook, the agency spelled out the consequences if those steps aren’t taken and what needs to be done to cap global temperature increases at 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. That’s the threshold beyond which some scientists have said catastrophic changes could be triggered. But the agency’s chief economist, Fatih Birol, said this week that he’s not optimistic that leaders are willing to make the necessary sacrifices.  “We are going in the wrong direction in terms of climate change,” he said in an interview ahead of the report’s official release.  link 

October 2009: A new historical record of CO2 levels suggests current political targets on climate may be "playing with fire", scientists say. Researchers used ocean sediments to plot CO2 levels back to the Miocene period which began a little over 20 million years ago. Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere stood at about 400 parts per million (ppm) before beginning to decline about 14 million years ago - a trend that eventually led to formation of the Antarctic icecap and perennial sea ice cover in the Arctic. In the intervening millennia, CO2 concentrations have been much lower; in the last few million years they cycled between 180ppm and 280ppm in rhythm with the sequence of ice ages and warmer interglacial periods. Now, humanity's emissions of greenhouse gases are pushing towards the 400ppm range, which will very likely be reached within a decade. "What we have shown is that in the last period when CO2 levels were sustained at levels close to where they are today, there was no icecap on Antarctica and sea levels were 25-40m (80-130ft) higher," said research leader Aradhna Tripati from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). link  

US climate agency declares CO2 public danger.  link

In the USA we produce close to 20 tons per person primarily through an energy inefficient lifestyle. A French report in 2006 deemed that humanity must freeze its annual carbon emissions at four billion tons (to maintain a 450 ppm goal) or 0.6 tons for each of the planet's 6.8 billion people, much less than the 2 tons figure. In the USA, therefore, we are either producing 10x too much (according to earlier estimates) or 30x too much (based on the French report). Either way our carbon footprint is causing a serious threat. We can emit some CO2 - its okay - we just produce too much. For all of human history until about 200 years ago, our atmosphere contained 275 parts per million of carbon dioxide; without some CO2 and other greenhouse gases that trap heat in our atmosphere, our planet would be too cold for humans to inhabit.

Globally, power generation emits nearly 10 billion tons of CO2 per year. The 8,000 power plants in the US spew more than 25% of that -  roughly 2.8 billion tons per year. See the worst dozen power plants in the USA here.

August 2012: CO2 emissions in U.S. drop to 20-year low. In a surprising turnaround, the amount of CO2 being released into the atmosphere in the U.S. has fallen dramatically to its lowest level in 20 years, and government officials say the biggest reason is that cheap and plentiful natural gas has led many power plant operators to switch from dirtier-burning coal. Many of the world's leading climate scientists didn't see the drop coming, in large part because it happened as a result of market forces rather than direct government action against carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere. link

January 2012: EPA publishes first greenhouse gas emissions data from large U.S sources. Power plants were the largest stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the 2010 calendar year, followed by petroleum refineries, according to greenhouse gas emissions data reported to the U.S. EPA by large facilities and suppliers across the country, published for the first time today. Carbon dioxide accounted for the largest share of direct greenhouse gas emissions with 95% followed by methane with four percent, and nitrous oxide and several fluorinated gases accounting for the remaining one percent.

February 2011: CO2 emissions in U.S. rise. CO2 emissions from US power plants climbed 5.6% in 2010 over the previous year, the biggest annual increase since the EPA began tracking emissions in 1995. Texas power plants led the pack emitting nearly 257 million tons of CO2, as much as the next two states, Florida and Ohio, combined. link  Electricity generators spewed 2.423 billion tons of carbon dioxide in 2010, compared with 2.295 billion tons in 2009. Coal-fired power plants provided 45% of the country’s electricity in 2010, but were responsible for 81% of total CO2 emissions from electricity generation last year

June  2012: Court upholds EPA right to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Former EPA Administrator, Carol Browner sad, “The Court’s decision should put an end, once and for all, to any questions about the EPA’s legal authority to protect us from industrial carbon pollution through the Clean Air Act. This decision is a devastating blow to those who challenge the overwhelming scientific evidence of climate change and deny its impact on public health and welfare.” link

Where climate change will hit hardest in USA. In 1990, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere were 354 parts per million (ppm) and increased at a rate of 1.3 ppm per year until reaching a level of 367 ppm in 2000. Between 2000 and today, carbon dioxide concentrations increased at a rate of 2.44 ppm per year until the current level of 392.94ppm (May 2010). If emissions continue at that current rate, carbon dioxide concentrations will exceed 600 ppm by the end of the century. Analyzing data from global climate models compiled for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report, The Nature Conservancy found that over the next 100 years states across the USA could experience average annual temperature increases ranging from nearly 3⁰F to more than 10⁰F. Using the latest scientific data and climate models with geographic information systems (GIS), statistical analysis and web-based mapping services, the Nature Conservancy worked with a wide range of organizations to bring Climate Wizard which represents the first time ever that the full range of climate history and future projections for specific landscapes and time frames have been brought together in a user-friendly format that is available to a mass audience.  link   

August 2011: President Obama delays implementation until 2013. The EPA estimated a new smog standard would cost up to $90bn a year - opponents said it would cost more. The rules could also have saved as much as $100bn in health costs, and helped prevent as many as 12,000 premature deaths from heart and lung complications, according to the EPA. link

In May 2010, the EPA announced long-awaited final rules on Greenhouse gases (GHG). The rules anticipate facilities responsible for 70% of the GHGs from stationary sources get permits to operate and show they are using green technology to reduce emissions. The EPA’s phased-in approach was to begin in January 2011, when permitting requirements for GHGs under the Clean Air Act will kick-in for large facilities that are already obtaining permits for other pollutants. These will be required to include GHGs in their permits if they increase these emissions by at least 75,000 tonnes per year (tpy). Then, in July 2011 these requirements will be expanded to cover all new facilities with GHG emissions of at least 100,000 tpy. link   In June 2011, a further delay was announced. link   From the date of the EPA's first proposals in April 2010, manufacturers raised objections, saying that the agency's standards were not based on adequate information, were confusing, and were not technically achievable. In response to the April 2010 proposals, the agency received more than 4,800 comments from businesses and communities, including information that EPA said industry had not provided prior to the proposals. Based on this input, EPA made extensive revisions to the standards, and in December 2010 asked a federal district court for additional time for review to ensure the public's input was fully addressed. The court granted EPA only 30 days and the final rules were issued in February 2011.              

In February 2011, the EPA established Clean Air Act emissions standards for large and small boilers and incinerators that burn solid waste and sewage sludge. The standards cover more than 200,000 boilers and incinerators that emit air pollutants, including mercury, cadmium, dioxins and particle pollution. May 2011 they issued a stay postponing the effective date of emissions standards for major source boilers and commercial and industrial solid waste incinerators. Because the original boiler rule was vacated, there is no rule currently in place. The final rules, published on March 21, 2011, called for an effective date of May 20, 2011 with compliance deadlines beginning three years later. link

September 2009: Nation's first vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards announced.  The Obama administration opened a new era in U.S. automotive history by proposing greenhouse gas emissions for vehicles. The emissions standards would be paired with stronger vehicle fuel efficiency standards in a coordinated national program to address climate change and energy security. This is EPA's first action to curb greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, using the authority upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court's 2007 decision in Massachusetts v. EPA.  link   [China’s fuel economy standard for passenger cars is equivalent to 36.7 miles per gallon, and China is reportedly considering raising this to 42.2 mpg. The U.S. standard remained at 27.5 mpg for 20 years until President Obama recently announced a new standard in May of 35.5 mpg by 2016.]

The Kyoto Protocol, which industrialized nations other than the United States have agreed to adhere to, aims to reduce emissions in those countries 5% below 1990 levels by 2012. If we are to have a good chance of achieving that target, the concentration of CO₂ must not be allowed to exceed 450 parts per million. To hold the average global temperature rise below   2⁰C relative to its pre-industrial level implies that before 2050 global emissions of CO₂ must be reduced to below 50% of the 1990 level (they are currently 10% above that level) link and on current trends could reach 550 ppm by 2035.
The increase in emissions out-paces even the worst-case scenarios published by scientists affiliated with the U.N. The Paris based International Energy Agency (IEA) declared November 7, 2007 that emissions of greenhouse gases will rise by 57% by 2030 compared to current levels, leading to a rise in Earth's surface temperature of at least three degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit).

January 2013: China and Australia top list of “carbon bomb” projects. A Greenpeace report states that 14 "carbon bomb" projects around the world will increase global emissions by 20%. The analysis suggests that there is a 75% chance of keeping emissions below the 2C target if all 14 projects, which are at varying stages of planning and approval,are cancelled, with emissions peaking in 2015 before falling by 5% annually. "If these projects aren't wound back, we're looking at an extra 300bn tonnes of CO₂ by 2050, which will make it very difficult to meet the 2C target," said Georgina Woods, lead campaigner for Greenpeace Australia. link

December 2012: World on track for 5⁰ Celsius rise by 2100. Levels of atmospheric CO2 are rising annually by around 3%, placing Earth on track for warming that could breach 5⁰C (9.0 degrees F) by 2100, according to a new study. The figure, among the most alarming of the latest forecasts by climate scientists, is at least double the 2C (3.6F) target set by UN members struggling for a global deal on climate change. In 2011, global carbon emissions were 54%  above 1990 levels, according to the research, published in the journal Nature Climate Change by the Global Carbon Project consortium. "We are on track for the highest emissions projections, which point to a rise in temperature of between 4C (7.2F) and 6C (10.8F) by the end of the century," said Corinne le Quere, a carbon specialist at the University of East Anglia, eastern England. link

September 2011: Global emissions of CO2 increased by 45% between 1990 and 2010, and reached an all-time high of 33 billion tons in 2010. Increased energy efficiency, nuclear energy and the growing contribution of renewable energy are not compensating for the globally increasing demand for power and transport, which is strongest in developing countries. Over the period 1990-2010, in the European Union and Russia CO2 emissions decreased by 7% and 28% respectively, while the USA’s emissions increased by 5% and the Japanese emissions remained more or less constant. There was a 5.8% increase in global CO2 emissions between 2009 and 2010 following a 1% decline in 2009. At present, the USA emits 16.9 tons CO2 per capita per year, over twice as much as Europe with 8.1 tons. By comparison, Chinese per capita CO2 emissions of 6.8 tons are still below the Europe average, but now equal those of Italy. It should be noted that the average figures for China and Europe hide significant regional differences. link  

May 2011: Worst ever carbon emissions in 2010 leave climate on the brink. link
November 2010: Global CO2 emissions drop by 1.3% to 30.8 billions tons in 2009.  link

September 2009: 4⁰ C rise now unavoidable: In a dramatic acceleration of forecasts for global warming, UK scientists say the global average temperature could rise by 4⁰ C (7.2⁰ F) as early as 2060.  link

September 2009: $300 billion cut in fossil fuel subsidies will cut global GHG emissions by 10%.  G-20 Countries Will Phase Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies. At the close of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, President Obama said, "We agreed to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels (coal, oil & gas) so that we can transition to a 21st century energy economy - an historic effort that would ultimately phase out nearly $300 billion in global subsidies." link  (Subsidies are hard to eliminate however due to industry's pressure .) 

A forest of 100,000 "artificial trees" could be deployed within 10 to 20 years to help soak up the world's carbon emissions. The trees are among three geo-engineering ideas highlighted as practical in a new report. The authors from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers say that without geo-engineering it will be impossible to avoid dangerous climate change. The team studied hundreds of different options but have put forward just three as being practical and feasible using current technology. The authors of this report say that geo-engineering of the type they propose should be used on a short-term basis to buy the world time, but in the long term it is vital to reduce emissions. They define two types of geo-engineering. The first category attempts to cool the planet by reflecting some of the sunlight away. The problem with this is that it just masks the problem. The other type of geo-engineering is to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it.  link  (Scientists at Columbia University believe that carbon-mopping machines modeled after trees could sequester enough carbon from the atmosphere to slow global warming. But can we produce them quickly (and cheaply) enough for the plan to work? link)

  
August 2010: All-out geo-engineering would not stop sea level rise.  Extensive geo-engineering seems impractical given its economic and environmental cost. But interfering with the planet’s carbon cycles, something we’re already doing by adding so much CO2 to the atmosphere, appears to be the better bet, even if only by curbing current CO2 emissions. Otherwise, we’re leaving our descendants one heck of a mess or, as the authors put it, “substituting geo-engineering for greenhouse gas emission abatement or removal constitutes a conscious risk transfer to future generations.” link

The world's wetlands, threatened by development, dehydration and climate change, could release a planet-warming "carbon bomb" if they are destroyed: Wetlands contain 771 billion tons of greenhouse gases, one-fifth of all the carbon on Earth and about the same amount of carbon as is now in the atmosphere, the scientists said before an international conference linking wetlands and global warming. See wetlands page for more details.